USAP-DC

{"dp_type": "Dataset", "free_text": "Plants"}

[{"awards": "1932876 Ball, Becky", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-58.999374 -62.18186,-58.965558 -62.18186,-58.931742 -62.18186,-58.897926000000005 -62.18186,-58.864110000000004 -62.18186,-58.830294 -62.18186,-58.796478 -62.18186,-58.762662 -62.18186,-58.728846000000004 -62.18186,-58.69503 -62.18186,-58.661214 -62.18186,-58.661214 -62.1881765,-58.661214 -62.194493,-58.661214 -62.2008095,-58.661214 -62.207126,-58.661214 -62.2134425,-58.661214 -62.219758999999996,-58.661214 -62.2260755,-58.661214 -62.232392,-58.661214 -62.2387085,-58.661214 -62.245025,-58.69503 -62.245025,-58.728846000000004 -62.245025,-58.762662 -62.245025,-58.796478 -62.245025,-58.830294 -62.245025,-58.864110000000004 -62.245025,-58.897926000000005 -62.245025,-58.931742 -62.245025,-58.965558 -62.245025,-58.999374 -62.245025,-58.999374 -62.2387085,-58.999374 -62.232392,-58.999374 -62.2260755,-58.999374 -62.219758999999996,-58.999374 -62.2134425,-58.999374 -62.207126,-58.999374 -62.2008095,-58.999374 -62.194493,-58.999374 -62.1881765,-58.999374 -62.18186))"], "date_created": "Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "A consequence of rapid warming on the Antarctic Peninsula is the melting and subsequent retreat of glaciers, leading to an increase in newly-exposed land on the Peninsula that was previously covered with ice. The process of ecological succession on this new terrain begins, but the mechanisms by which they occur on the Antarctic continent is not well understood. Once early colonizing plants have established on the newly-exposed soil, they can change many important properties, such as water dynamics, nutrient recycling, soil development, and habitat for microscopic organisms, which will ultimately determine the structure and functioning of the future ecosystem as it develops. This project makes a comprehensive study of how the type of colonizing plant, and the expansion of those plants from climate change, will influence terrestrial ecosystems in Antarctica. This project uses surveys across succession sites on King George Island to test how species-specific plant functional traits impact soil properties and associated microbial and invertebrate communities in a greening Antarctica. We measured the relative effects of fundamental plant functional traits on soil physicochemical and biological (both microbial and invertebrate) properties across glacial succession gradients in Antarctica. In doing so, we explore how early-colonizing plants, especially mosses and lichens, alter soil physical, biogeochemical, and biological components.", "east": -58.661214, "geometry": ["POINT(-58.830294 -62.2134425)"], "keywords": "25 De Mayo/King George Island; Antarctica; Biota; Cryosphere; Ecological Succession; Microarthropods; Soil Biogeochemistry; Soil Invertebrates; Soil Microbiome", "locations": "25 De Mayo/King George Island; Antarctica", "north": -62.18186, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Ball, Becky", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Exploring the Functional Role of Antarctic Plants during Terrestrial Succession", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010315", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Exploring the Functional Role of Antarctic Plants during Terrestrial Succession"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -62.245025, "title": "Exploring the Functional Role of Antarctic Plants during Terrestrial Succession: Fine-Scale Survey", "uid": "602015", "west": -58.999374}, {"awards": "1932844 Eppley, Sarah", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-62.83 -60.9,-62.03 -60.9,-61.23 -60.9,-60.43 -60.9,-59.629999999999995 -60.9,-58.83 -60.9,-58.03 -60.9,-57.23 -60.9,-56.43 -60.9,-55.629999999999995 -60.9,-54.83 -60.9,-54.83 -61.193,-54.83 -61.486,-54.83 -61.778999999999996,-54.83 -62.071999999999996,-54.83 -62.364999999999995,-54.83 -62.658,-54.83 -62.951,-54.83 -63.244,-54.83 -63.537,-54.83 -63.83,-55.629999999999995 -63.83,-56.43 -63.83,-57.23 -63.83,-58.03 -63.83,-58.83 -63.83,-59.629999999999995 -63.83,-60.43 -63.83,-61.23 -63.83,-62.03 -63.83,-62.83 -63.83,-62.83 -63.537,-62.83 -63.244,-62.83 -62.951,-62.83 -62.658,-62.83 -62.364999999999995,-62.83 -62.071999999999996,-62.83 -61.778999999999996,-62.83 -61.486,-62.83 -61.193,-62.83 -60.9))"], "date_created": "Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "With rapid glacial retreat occurring in Antarctica, more and more ice-free regions are becoming available for colonization by Antarctica\u2019s assemblage of terrestrial plants, promoting unprecedented recent rates of Antarctic-greening. Although there have been numerous studies aimed at understanding the processes and mechanisms of soil and vegetation development following glacial retreat in high latitude montane systems, we have a limited understanding of soil and vegetative development patterns with glacial retreat in Antarctica. Further, we have virtually no understanding of the mechanisms of successional vegetative processes during glacial retreat in Antarctica nor how this associated greening will impact terrestrial ecosystem function, such as how carbon moves through the system, in this rapidly changing environment. During three field seasons from 2022-2024, we conducted intensive surveys of plant-soil interactions across succession sites, and we implemented a manipulative transplant experiment, in which we moved different plant species into soil that had never had plant growth previously. We conducted this research in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica to determine how different Antarctic plant species affect the soil in which they grow. Using samples we collected during these field seasons, we measured plant functional traits (including nutrients, water holding capacity, morphological traits and thermal traits); soil physical properties and biogeochemistry; and soil microbial and invertebrate communities. Our results suggest that taken together, nutrient- and water-based, plant functional traits demonstrate that Antarctic plants exhibit differentiated ecological strategies that can be linked to key ecosystem processes\u2014carbon accumulation, nutrient cycling, water regulation, and microhabitat stabilization. Additionally, our experiment shows that Antarctic plant species can significantly differentially affect soil carbon in a relatively short time span. These results have important implications with respect to how species-specific effects of plants influence soil properties, including carbon cycling, during glacial retreat. Training of graduate and undergraduate researchers was a key component of our research, and students were able to present their results at international meetings.", "east": -54.83, "geometry": ["POINT(-58.83 -62.364999999999995)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Cryosphere; Plants; South Shetland Islands", "locations": "South Shetland Islands; Antarctica", "north": -60.9, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Eppley, Sarah", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Exploring the Functional Role of Antarctic Plants during Terrestrial Succession", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010315", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Exploring the Functional Role of Antarctic Plants during Terrestrial Succession"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -63.83, "title": "Morphological Traits of Antarctic Plants", "uid": "602020", "west": -62.83}, {"awards": "1341500 Ryberg, Patricia", "bounds_geometry": null, "date_created": "Tue, 07 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Images of Late Permian glossopterid reproductive structures from Allan Hills in the Beardmore Glacier Region of Antarctica.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Fossil; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Transantarctic Mountains", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains; Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences", "persons": "Ryberg, Patricia", "project_titles": "RUI: Antarctic Paleobotany: Permian Floral Characteristics in a Sedimentary Setting", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010134", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "RUI: Antarctic Paleobotany: Permian Floral Characteristics in a Sedimentary Setting"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Images of Fossil Plants of Antarctica", "uid": "601066", "west": null}, {"awards": "0338260 Chin, Yu-Ping; 0338342 Foreman, Christine", "bounds_geometry": ["POINT(166.167 -77.55)"], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant chemical component in aquatic systems because it acts as an important carbon source for microorganisms, absorbs harmful radiation in sunlight, is able to complex metals, and can participate in important biogeochemical reactions. This study will investigate the biogeochemical cycling of DOM in a small coastal Antarctic pond, Pony Lake, located on Cape Royds, Ross Island. Because there are no higher plants present at this site all of the DOM in this lake is derived from microorganisms. Thus, Pony Lake is an ideal site to study the effect of physical, chemical, and microbial processes on the composition and character of the DOM pool. Finally, Pony Lake is also an ideal site to collect an International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) fulvic acid standard. Unlike other IHSS standards, this standard will not contain DOM components derived from higher land plants. To better understand the role of physical influences, the project will study the changes in the DOM pool as the lake evolves from ice-covered to ice-free conditions during the summer, as well as the relationship of DOM to the observed turnover of dominant microbial communities in the lake. Scientists will also monitor changes in microbial abundance, diversity, and productivity that may occur during the ice to open-water transition period. This research will provide much needed information regarding the relationship between microbial diversity and DOM biogeochemistry. Middle school science students will be active participants in this project through the Internet, while scientists are in the field, and in the lab.", "east": 166.167, "geometry": ["POINT(166.167 -77.55)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Critical Zone; Ross Island; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Water Samples", "locations": "Ross Island; Antarctica", "north": -77.55, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Chin, Yu-Ping; Foreman, Christine", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000548", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.55, "title": "Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island", "uid": "600168", "west": 166.167}]

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